Past Events

Disruptive Writing - Wednesday, November 22, 2017

This FMI event focused on real and potential
disruptions and how to navigate change. Three local authors
have each written about this topic from very different perspectives
and they described their books and their journey to becoming
authors.

The Authors:

Tema Frank, PeopleShock: The Path to Profits
When Customers Rule. How do
governments and organizations manage the processes, people and
products/services in a customer focused world. In the age of social
media and the active citizen, this is NOT just a for-profit
company's problem.

Rob Roach, Spiders in Space:
Successfully Adapting to Unwanted Change. When NASA sent spiders into space, the
spiders had to rediscover how to spin their webs without the aid of
gravity. Unwanted change requires us to adapt to a harsher
environment. Spiders in Space presents a menu of adaptive
traits that can help us not only survive, but thrive, when unwanted
change comes our way.

Rod Schatz, Phantom Ex Machina: Digital Disruption's
Role in Business Model Transformation. From the Doomsday Book, clay tax records
through to legislating privacy - governments have had a central
role in managing information in a society. This book explores
the factors that make digital disruption possible and the effects
this has on existing business models and to managing public policy
on the wave of digital disruption.

Must Read Books: Crowd-Sourcing
Knowledge. To help navigate change and become better
leaders - the session will crowd-source must read non-fiction books
for FMI Members and discuss the role of a healthy local publishing
economy has on thought leadership.

Staff Development
Rationale: This training session
will introduce attendees to current and looming
disruptions that may impact how the public service delivers
services and programs. As well, the
must-read books will give public servants skills and understanding
to navigate change.

The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine

September 19, 2017

The Lost Dutchman's Gold Mine: this FMI session was about
competition, collaboration, team building, and mining as much
'gold' as possible. As much as groups say they are a team and
collaborate, the fact is most groups compete for resources.
Facilitated by Randy Shuttleworth, participants were divided into
teams and engaged in a game where the object is to find the Lost
Dutchman's mine and mine as much gold as possible. The key to
winning was good planning and working together. Outcomes of the
event were learning to collaborate and breaking down information
silos!

Building a Healthy
Workplace

May 17, 2017

Over the past 50 years we
have seen the move from the industrial revolution to the
information revolution. Increasingly, organizations handle
information as a commodity and as a result there has been the rise
of the knowledge worker.The other side of this change
is that employees rely on their brain to contribute value and to
provide for their families. What happens when their brain fails
them as a result of mental illness?

According to the Canadian
Mental Health Association (CMHA), mental illness will impact 1 in 5
Canadians. Because of the impact on their families and
communities this number can rise to 1 in 3. CMHA's defines
a mental
disorder as health conditions that are characterized
by alternations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination
thereof) associated with distress
and/or impaired
functioning.

The last point is the reason
for this important conference. Impaired functioning results
in: disability claims, absenteeism, and low
productivity. Some questions this conference hopes to explore
include:

What is the role and some of the challenges mental health poses
in the workplace?

How can managers create environments where business needs are
being met and employees flourish?

How can we deal proactively with our staff who are going
through a challenging time and make sure they come out
successful?

What happens if we or a member of family/social circle becomes
mentally ill? What resources are available?

This session examined the
facts of mental health and provided tools for leaders to help
manage the impact on the organization.

The Alberta Economy -
Between a Budget and a Hard Place

February 9, 2017

This is the second time the
Edmonton FMI Chapter has explored this issue. The last
time, September 11,
2014 West Texas Intermediate Crude was trading for about
$93 a barrel and then Alberta Finance Minister, Doug Horner was
still predicting a surplus despite increased spending. 30 months, 2
finance ministers and 1 government later - times have definitely
changed!

Our panel was composed of leading
economists who weighed in on what Albertans might expect in 2017
and beyond. Topics will included:

Will the price of oil continue to recover or stay flat?

Will employment prospects improve?

How will the new carbon levy (tax) policies filter through the
economy between the net payers and the net beneficiaries?

What will happen on the investment side? And how will other new
policies like a new tax credit for small business contribute to
economic recovery and diversification.

For outsiders looking in, public
civil servants are in an enviable position. Compared to the private
sector, pay and benefits have been relatively stable with no
dramatic cuts to positions and little in the way of salary
rollbacks. But while governments continue to hope for an economic
turnaround, what if the recovery takes longer than expected?
Speakers and panelist who helped us navigate this topic
included:

After the Smoke
Clears: CPAs and the Public Service

November 17, 2016

On July 1, 2015, CPA Alberta
celebrated its first anniversary. Over the past 12+
months, considerable effort has gone into making the
merge of three legacy accounting bodies successful. Now that
the merger-smoke is clearing what has changed for public sector
financial professionals? The session asked and attempted to answer
the question, how can CPA Alberta help the members who work in the
public service?

This morning was highly interactive
with an opportunity to not only hear from government leaders but
also question and contribute to CPA Alberta. Topics were wide
ranging from how to train new CPAs, the public service voice in CPA
Alberta and the CPA Alberta voice in government. Senior leadership
contributing to this session included:

Fostering Innovation
in the Public Service When Money is Tight

September 21, 2016

Public servants are expected to be
innovative while working in a risk adverse environment. This
inherent conundrum is compounded during times of fiscal restraint
when ideas are solicited but resources to execute few. This
session will investigate innovation in the public services from a
number of facets.

What is innovation, how do you get
it, how do you keep it and when should you ignore it? Next,
how to propose, implement and sustain an innovative idea or culture
in an environment that is less than ideal. Finally, thoughts
and strategies of making the case for innovation during times of
fiscal restraint; after all, never let a good crisis go to waste.
Speakers for this informative session are:

Dr. Markus
Sharaput, Dalhousie University: the theory of innovation
and its practical challenges.

Chris
Dambrowitz, NAIT: Can Innovation Become Part of Your
DNA?

Karen Parker,
City of Edmonton: the History, Success and Challenges of Creating
an Open City.

The Art of
Influencing Others

March 17, 2016

Public servants are both influenced
and are influencers in our work and personal lives. Examples
include: asking a child to complete a chore, a staff member a task,
a supervisor to authorize a project or a committee of peers to
endorse a decision.

But what motivates people to agree
(or not) with your perspective, how can you best present your ideas
and how do you get past the 'knee-jerk-no' response?

Randy
Shuttleworth is a senior partner of the Training Company which
provides specialized training for organizations and for
individuals. This session of influencing others will be
specifically tailored to the needs of financial professionals
working in the public sector. Join us for an unique
opportunity to better understand your family, team and
organization. Also, how best influence these groups and
individuals to achieve the best possible decision for all
concerned.

Unionization and the Public Service: Costs and Benefits

January 28, 2016

One pervasive constant in the
public service is the existence of unions. This session
explored the benefits to the members, citizens and taxpayers unions
play and what are the corresponding costs or inefficiencies they
introduce. Speakers included:

The Crane: Edmonton's Official Bird?

November 18, 2015

Driving through downtown Edmonton
on November 18, 2015, you would have been forgiven for not
realizing that oil was been trending around $45 US a barrel. During
this session, the Edmonton Chapter of FMI asked the questions: what
are the major capital projects being built in Alberta and what is
the role of public or private interests in their development? This
session looked at a state of the projects and how public servants
can assist and support capital project based economic growth.
Also discussed were the challenges of maintenance after
completion, the options for keeping the lights on after the ribbon
has been cut. Speakers included:

Fraud Awareness in
the Public Sector or I Never Applied for that Loan

September 23, 2015

Have you received the dreaded phone
call from your bank notifying you that your credit card account has
been comprised. Worse, have you received the phone call from
someone claiming to be from your bank asking for your credit card
details?

On September 23, the Edmonton
Chapter explored 'Fraud
Awareness in the Public Sector'. A detective from the
Edmonton Police Service, experts from Alberta Human Services and
the City of Edmonton IT Branch discussed fraud from the personal to
the organizational level. In addition, Ray Haywood from PwC, our
event co-sponsor, provided their global expertise in assessing and
preventing fraud in organizations.

As citizens, how can we discern the
difference between the two bank phone calls? As public
servants, how do we balance delivering services without feeding
those who would steal from the needy? As financial managers, what
are our responsibilities to control, detect, report and prevent
fraud happening? On September 23, the Edmonton Chapter found out!

Procurement-Who Does
it Well?

February 26, 2015

Canadian
governments (federal, provincial, municipal and agencies)
collectively procure billions each year. Efficient and effective
procurement is critical to the proper functioning of government
operations and to a modern economy.

Which organizations have mastered
their procurement processes; balancing efficiency and effectiveness
with the necessary controls and oversight? This professional
development-session considered this challenge from many
perspectives; procurement professionals, public servants (who need
to purchase goods and services), the financial manager, system
providers, and the taxpayer who ultimately pays for the
purchase. This was a joint presentation by FMI and
PwC Canada - a global leader in supply chain and
procurement.

Advanced Manual for
Understanding People

January 22, 2015

When you have car trouble, you reach in the glove-box for the
owner's manual… When your computer software does not work, you
Google the problem… What about when your problem involves
co-workers, colleagues or your family?

Imagine how much more successful we would be if we just had the
manual to understanding people? What if we had the tools to
understand what they do, and why they do it?

In this session George Boelcke, CCP reviewed the basics of our
four colours. These colours help us to understand our four
very different personality types, their values, stresses and needs.
Then George went beyond the basics into the Four Colours at
Work; their communication styles and motivators. Finally
George will took us to the dark side of our colours and the trouble
they can cause.

George Boelcke, CCP facilitates seminars on personality types,
leadership, and team-building throughout North America and Europe
for groups ranging from Fortune 500 companies and conferences, to
many small businesses. In addition to his frequent media
appearances, George is the author of a number of bestsellers on
personality types, relationships, management and sales. For more
insights, visit: www.vantageseminars.com.

Retirement Planning
in the Public Service: Learning to Adapt to the Tides of
Change

November 26, 2014

Is early retirement still an option
for 'baby-boomer' public-servants? Will there be anything
left for Gen X/Y/etc. public servants? Uncertainty about pensions
is a reality for both employees and Governments, but the right
information and setting realistic expectations can help you have a
satisfying and sustainable retirement plan.

These were the questions asked and
explored at this session. Thank you for attending; program notes
and key links are available (or soon will be). Key links include
the following:

Sizing Up the
Economic Horizon in Alberta

September 11, 2014

The Province of Alberta is an
economic engine that creates jobs and resulting federal and
provincial tax revenues. But are things as rosy as they seem or is
a weakening economy on the horizon? In this session, three leading
economists will weigh in on the topic. Learn what key measures are
monitored and how these indicators compare with events of the past.
Is history about to repeat itself or is Alberta on course to
achieve even greater prosperity? And how does our panel align with
the general public sentiments on the economy? Do optimistic or
pessimistic times lie ahead? How does Alberta's economic horizon
affect Financial Managers responsible for public policy, budgeting
and their own fThe Province of Alberta is an economic engine that
creates jobs and resulting federal and provincial tax revenues. But
are things as rosy as they seem or is a weakening economy on the
horizon? In this session, three leading economists will weigh
in on the topic. Learn what key measures are monitored and
how these indicators compare with events of the past. Is history
about to repeat itself or is Alberta on course to achieve even
greater prosperity? And how does our panel align with the general
public sentiments on the economy? Do optimistic or pessimistic
times lie ahead? How does Alberta's economic horizon affect
Financial Managers responsible for public policy, budgeting and
their own family's finances?

The Public Sector P
in P3s

May 21, 2014

The public looks to all levels of government to build and
maintain infrastructure to support the economic and social well
being of their communities. At the same time, the public is
asking how infrastructure expenditures can be made more effective,
efficient and how the results can be brought on line sooner and
with less disruption. The innovation and flexibility of
private enterprise needs to meet the funding and legislative power
of the public sector and thus the concepts of Public, Private
Partnerships (P3s) was born. The speakers/panelists were:

Auditors and the
Public Sector Organization

February 25, 2014

Auditors play a critical function in maintaining the public
trust in the financial reports, processes and decisions made within
a public sector organization. Offices of the auditor general have
seen their scope of reviews increase well beyond the financial
statements over the past decades.

On February 25, 2014; the Edmonton FMI Chapter will explore the
role auditors' play in maintaining public trust, the future of the
sub-profession within the public-organization financial community
and practical recommendations to maintain good audit relationships.
Speakers/panelists are:

Provincial Perspective: Merwan N. Saher, Alberta Auditor
General

Municipal Perspective: David Wiun, City Auditor,
Edmonton

Audit Firm Perspective: Rachel Gosse, Partner, Deloitte

Federal Perspective: n/a

How to Survive,
Thrive and Live with Change

January 23, 2014

The Edmonton FMI Chapter joined Brenda
to listen, laugh and learn about managing change with humour and a
positive attitude!

Brenda Robinson has been in the training and development field
for 30+years. In addition to being a sought after speaker and
workshop facilitator, she is an organizational consultant and
coach. She is a published author, she holds a Bachelor of
Arts and a Masters of Education.

We have entered an era of inverse change - we will never catch
up again. How can we learn to enjoy and thrive in this era? Is a
change as good as a rest? Is change inevitable? Can we control
change in our lives?

Learn to bring joy and laughter to your changing workplace in
changing times. Working together positively will facilitate meeting
the challenge we all face in today's world.

Financial Management in the Government of Canada

October 29, 2013

Ms. Sharon Smith provided an overview of how the
Government of Canada (GoC) is tackling a budget deficit while
striving to maintain programs and services. This is being done
through Financial Management Transformation. As a
result, the GoC looks to not only spending less but maintaining or
even improving programs and services. Ms. Smith also
discussed the changes within the GoC's Financial Officer community
including its strategies relating to the accounting designation
merger. Further information can be found in the attached
presentation and presentation notes:

The Alberta Chapter's Annual General Meeting

September 19, 2013

Comptrollership
Challenges in a Changing Environment

April 18, 2013

Guest Speaker:James Ralston,
Comptroller General of Canada, Government of Canada

This session will address the challenges that comptrollers are
facing in the current environment: touching on cost
containment, technology and people management. It will also cover
some of the approaches being undertaken in the federal context and
encourage discussion on best practices and approaches to meeting
common challenges.

City of Edmonton's
City Centre Transformation

March 14, 2013

The areas of focus will be the new
Downtown Arena, City Airport, and The Quarters.

Guest
Speaker:

Mary Ann Debrinski,
Director Urban Renewal, City of Edmonton

During her 6 year tenure with the City of Edmonton, Mary has
spent four of those years as the Director of Financial Strategy and
Budget Planning. Mary Ann is a CMA with over 25 years of experience
in budgeting, strategic planning, financial management, project
management and long range financial planning in the Municipal,
Education and Healthcare sectors.

Mark Hall is the Executive Director of the Blatchford
Redevelopment project. He has been involved in the land development
industry in the Edmonton area for more than 30 years. He
experience includes transportation planning and policy development,
suburban land use design and approvals, downtown plan policy
development and implementation, and land development project
planning and implementation.

In his current role, Mark is responsible for The Blatchford
neighbourhood of more than 25,000 residents, a major park, a town
centre and educational institutions. Blatchford will also
have two LRT stations - one at the south end of the Plan area
serving NAIT and the other in the centre of the easterly
residential precinct.

Serving Alberta's Capital City for a third term, Mayor Stephen
Mandel has led the City of Edmonton since October 2004.

Mayor Mandel is a strong advocate for Alberta municipalities,
ensuring they receive a fair share of funding to pay for vital
infrastructure and community services. His bold vision to improve
the integration of services in the Edmonton region encouraged the
Province to create a new governance body responsible for building a
more effective regional plan, which has marked a new era of
cooperation and growth. Mayor Mandel also celebrates Edmonton's
arts community and multiculturalism as great strengths of our City
and his inclusive vision reflects Edmonton's our vast energy and
character. He is a strong advocate and voice for low-income
families, seniors and those in need. As Mayor, Stephen is a
steadfast steward of numerous green initiatives and remains
committed to preserving Edmonton's reputation as a global
environmental leader.

The Budgeting World
in Government

January 17, 2013

Join FMI, IPAC and the Institute of Public Economics to hear
first- hand how budgets are planned and executed at all three
levels of government. Panelists listed below will bring their
experience from both the political and administrative
perspectives.

Bob Ascah
Director, Institute for Public Economics
University of Alberta

Nolan Crouse
Mayor,
City of St. Albert

Robyn Singleton
Former Chief Administrative Officer
Strathcona County

Public Sector
Renewal: Perspectives from Multiple Ordersof
Government

November 1, 2012

FMI-Alberta Chapter's first collaborative event with the Institute of Public Adminstration, Edmonton
Region was a great success. Nearly 100 IPAC and FMI members and
guests braved the season's first snowfall to hear about initiatives
to renew the public sector from its senior leaders. The panellists
included Simon Farbrother (City Manager, City of Edmonton), Peter
Watson (Deputy Minister of Executive Council, Government of
Alberta), and Jim Saunderson (Chief Financial Officer - Western
Economic Diversification, Government of Canada). The moderated
discussion touched on the importance of a healthy corporate
culture, efforts to attract new talent and to maximize the
potential of existing talent, as well as the role public sector
organizations such as IPAC and FMI can play through networking and
fostering conversations.

The Basics of Colors:
The Owners Manual to Understanding People

September 13, 2012

George J. Boelcke, CCP provided an entertaining and interactive
seminar on the use of Colors as a tool for team building, fostering
unity, staff retention, communication and much more.

Update and Status of
Financial ManagementTransformation in the
Government of Canada

June 20, 2012

This includes the duties and purpose of the
Financial System Authority, the various policies, directives, and
initiatives which collectively make up the transformation effort in
regards to the stewardship of financial management systems, the
financial Interoperability, and stewardship initiative. A
discussion will follow on how these are related to the renewal of
the financial management business processes, the creation of
standard and common system configurations, and the creation of
common financial information in the government of Canada.

Doug Lloyd is presently the Financial System Authority in the
Office of the Comptroller General at TBS. He obtained his Masters
of Business Administration from The University of Ottawa, and is a
Project Management Professional (PMP), a Certified Management
Consultant (CMC), and a Certified Management Accountant (CMA). He
has extensive experience as the CEO of a niche market management
consulting firm in Canada, and has worked for the past 5 years as
an executive in the government of Canada. Mr. Lloyd is a former
trustee of the 2nd largest school board in Ontario, and is also the
former President and CEO of the student transportation crown
authority in Ottawa, responsible for over 100,000 student movements
per day. He is presently pursuing a PhD.

Shared Systems, Truth
and Myth

March 1, 2012

with Bruce
Manion
Former Faculty Member, Canada School of Public Service

Up until recently, Bruce was on assignment as a faculty member
with the Canada School of the Public Service. Prior to that, Bruce
was the CFO at both HRSDC and Canadian Heritage. In over 28 years
since joining the federal public service through the FORD/IARD
Program of the OCG, he has held many different positions in audit,
administration and financial management in numerous other federal
organizations such as DND, OSFI, NRCAN and PWGSC.

Throughout his career, Bruce has maintained a strong interest in
modernizing management practices and the strengthening of
functional communities.

Bruce is married and has two children. When he is not working,
he is an avid tool guy and home renovation maniac. In past lives,
he has been a professional musician, actor, stand-up comic and
gravedigger. He is certainly not your average accountant.

Fiscal Sustainability
in Canada

January 18, 2012

by Kevin Page
Parliamentary Budget Officer, Parliament of Canada

About Kevin Page: Kevin Page was appointed Canada's first
Parliamentary Budget Officer on March 25, 2008. The Parliamentary
Budget Officer (PBO) is an independent officer of the Library of
Parliament who reports to the Speakers of both chambers and who is
responsible for providing independent analysis to the Senate and to
the House of Commons about trends in the national economy, the
state of nation's finances and the estimates of the government. (http://www.parl.gc.ca/pbo-dpb/)

Learn to Bounce -
Surviving & Thriving during Changing Times

September 28, 2011

Presenting Financial
Information to Senior Government Officials

May 25, 2011

by Dan Perrins and Jim
Marshall
Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy

Dan Perrins and Jim Marshall will provide practical guidelines
on presenting financial information to senior government officials,
focusing on financial briefings and include general rules, tips and
techniques.

Dan Perrins, Executive-in-Residence and Senior
Policy Fellow of the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public
Policy is currently the Executive in Residence and Senior Policy
Fellow at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy,
University of Regina.

Prior to this, Mr. Perrins served in the Public Service of
Saskatchewan for 36 years. In February 2001, Mr. Perrins was
appointed as Deputy Minister to the Premier and the Head of the
Public Service and served in that role until November 2007.

Jim Marshall, Senior Policy Fellow at the
Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of Public Policy is currently a
Senior Policy Fellow at the Johnson-Shoyama Graduate School of
Public Policy

He taught in the Department of Economics at Brandon University,
Manitoba, and conducted research for the Library of Parliament in
Ottawa before starting with the Government of Saskatchewan. In his
30 years of government service, Jim Marshall has held several
senior positions in Saskatchewan Government agencies, including:
Finance, Crown Investments Corporation and Industry and
Resources.

Cooperative Projects
and Human Capital

February 16, 2011

Doug Lloyd will discuss the financial management transformation
initiative presently underway at the Office of the Comptroller
General.

Specifically, he will provide an overview of the duties and
purpose of the Financial System Authority, and then will discuss
the various policies, directives and initiatives which collectively
make up the transformation effort. He will outline the policy and
directive on the stewardship of financial management systems, the
financial interoperability and stewardship initiative, and then
discuss how these are related to the renewal of our financial
management business processes, creation of standard and common
system configurations, and creation of common financial information
in the government of Canada. He will then finish off with a quick
discussion as to how this is related to accountability, and a
question and answer period.

About Douglas M. Lloyd: Doug Lloyd is the financial system
authority for the government of Canada. He is responsible for
developing and setting financial business processes for the
government, as well as establishing common financial information,
common financial configurations, and policies on the stewardship of
financial management systems (both automated and manual). His team
is also responsible for a community building and capacity
development regime for finance personnel in the government, as well
as operating a centre of outreach aspects of finance.

Prior to this, Doug was on exchange from the private sector
where he was the President and CEO of a private sector niche
management consulting company and was responsible for managing and
troubleshooting major crown projects for Treasury Board
Secretariat, Public Works and Government Services Canada and Human
Resources Development Canada. He won two distinction awards from
the industry for project management at this time.

He is the former President and Chair of the Ottawa Student
Transportation Authority, the provincial Crown Corporation
responsible for all yellow school busses in Ottawa-Carleton; and is
now the chair of the National Institute on Biomass, Renewable and
Clean Technologies.

Doug has an MBA from the University of Ottawa with a
concentration in Finance and Accounting, and is CMC, CMA and PMP
certified. He is in process of completing a PhD in Public
Administration specialising in building high performing teams using
intergenerational techniques. A subject he lectures on frequently
to universities, colleges and professional associations.

Writing @ Work
II

January 20, 2011

with Virginia DurksenVisible Ink
Incorporated

Clear writing is the best practice that makes all other best
practices possible. Virginia Durksen is back to give you more
writing tips and to introduce you to writing habits that will make
you a clear writer-and an effective financial manager.

Virginia Durksen draws on two decades of experience as a writer
and editor to develop customized workshops for workplace writers.
Through Visible Ink, Virginia teaches business and technical
writing to corporate clients across Canada.

As an adult educator, Virginia believes that everyone in today's
workplace can and should develop clear, effective communication
skills. Often, the greatest barriers to improving those skills are
an abundance of bad examples, uncertainy about what's wrong, and
lack of opportunity to keep on developing. These can be
overcome.

Microsoft Canada: Gov
2.0

November 25, 2010

with Omar RashidDirector for Municipal
Government Strategy, Microsoft Canada

As Director for Municipal Government Strategy, Omar Rashid is
responsible for leading Microsoft's engagement with local and
regional governments across Canada. He speaks regularly on how
Information & Communication Technologies (ICT) can be used to
drive positive outcomes from public policy. For this event Omar
will speak on Gov 2.0 - the two-way commnication between government
agencies and citizens. Please join us to hear how governments
across Canada and the world are leveraging Gov 2.0 principals to
improve service delivery, engage citizens and improve outcomes from
public service.

Change
Management

Thursday October 28, 2010

withVik Maraj

Vik Maraj
Consulting

Vik Maraj consults, speaks, teaches, and facilitates on a range of
topics including leadership, change and transition, group dynamics,
performance execution, motivational practices, conflict engagement,
and influence. This session on Change Management will introduce you
to 10 practices that will make change happen. The topic for this
event was selected by our fmi*igf Alberta Chapter members making
this our first "Members Choice" event!

Writing @ Work
II

September 9, 2010

with Virginia DurksenVisible Ink
Incorporated

Clear writing is the best practice that makes all other best
practices possible. Long sentences, unclear words, and passive
voice create as much confusion as a column of numbers that doesn't
add up. But to make a document easy to read and a procedure easy to
follow, we need to replace the bad habits we pick up in university
and at work. This session introduced the participants to writing
habits that will make them a clear writer - and an effective
financial manager. Read more about Virginia at http://www.visible-ink.ca/.

Virginia Durksen draws on two decades of experience as a writer
and editor to develop customized workshops for workplace writers.
Through Visible Ink, Virginia teaches business and technical
writing to corporate clients across Canada.

As an adult educator, Virginia believes that everyone in today's
workplace can and should develop clear, effective communication
skills. Often, the greatest barriers to improving those skills are
an abundance of bad examples, uncertainy about what's wrong, and
lack of opportunity to keep on developing. These can be
overcome.

The Competency
Connection

Thursday, May 28, 2009

by Norma Hubley,
CA Office of the Comptroller General of Canada

Competencies: We hear about them but what are they and what is
their effect in the real world? The Office of the Comptroller
General (OCG) of Canada has developed a professional development
apprenticeship program based entirely on competencies. Competencies
either are or will be used at all levels for evaluation and
promotion.

If you want to know what are the competencies in government
finance and how to obtain them then you need to register for this
session. In addition, if you need to develop competency profiles
for your department then this session is for you. See registration
information below.

Norma Hubley, CA graduated from Carleton University with an
Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree in 1975 and became a Chartered
Accountant in 1977. Mrs. Hubley has held a number of positions
within the Public Service with increasing and varied
responsibilities. She has worked in financial management, financial
planning and resource management, financial and accounting policy
and corporate accounting, and the development of programs required
to position the Financial Management workforce for the challenges
surrounding the implementation of the Chief Financial Officer
model.

Currently, her work with the Office of the Comptroller General,
involves Capacity Building and Community development for the
Financial Management community within the federal Government

Current Status of
Canadian Financial Accounting Standards Development

February 19, 2009

by Al Budlong, FCA

International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS)

Proposed Model for Canadian Small Business

Rules currently in development for Non-Profit
Organizations

Al Budlong is an FCA. He is a member of the Institute of
Chartered Accountants of Alberta (ICAA). He is very much involved
with advising those interested in professional accounting
standards.

New Transfer Payment
Policy

October 21, 2008

by Pierre Laflamme Treasury Board Secretariat, Office of the
Comptroller general,
Government of Canada

Have you heard about Treasury Board's New Transfer Payment Policy effective October
1st? Our speaker Pierre Laflamme is going to bring us up to date on
this new policy. If you are involved with Grants and Contributions
- or are planning to become involved - then you don't want to miss
this session. Some highlights:

Pierre Laflamme is currently Director, Financial Arrangements
Unit at Treasury Board of Canada. He is responsible for the renewal
of the policy on transfer payments, working with multiple
stakeholders to succeed with the implementation.

Create Engaging
Workplaces - Improve Retention

September 17, 2008

by James Robbins

A manager's success lies in their ability to fully engage
employees. Come join this engaging, entertaining and inspirational
presentation that will provide you a feast of leadership ideas to
help create environments that inspire employees and lower employee
turnovers.

James
Robbins of The Robbins Group based in Calgary, Alberta, is a
rare mix of management consultant, motivational speaker and
adventurer. He has worn many hats over the years from managing
non-profit organizations to entrepreneur, speaker and leadership
trainer. For the last 15 years, James has been helping Leaders live
up to their true potential. As a speaker he has over 12 years on
the platform and is known for his humour, genuine style and
stories

Financial Management
Policy Framework and the Office of the Comptroller General of
Canada

February 21, 2008

The last few years have seen significant changes in the federal
government Treasury Board and Comptroller General's Office with
respect to its policies. Mr. Geiger will speak on the subject of
Treasury Board (TB) and Office of the Comptroller General (OCG) Financial Management Policy Framework, renewal
and new directions of the OCG. This will include a look at
the old policy suite, the Federal Accountability Act and Action
Plan, the policy renewal exercise and progress to date. Subjects to
be covered include: